Ex-govt officials warned against conmen using PCCB`s name

By Felister Peter

22nd May 2012

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PCCB director-general Dr Edward Hosea

The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) yesterday warned ex-government officials against conmen posing, as PCCB officers under the pretext of assisting them to escape from corruption charges.

The conmen are reportedly targeting civil servants implicated by the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) report over corruption and abuse of office.

“We would like to inform Tanzanians that PCCB works under an organised system and its officers can be identified by their job IDs. Whoever approached by the Bureau’s officials should demand to see an ID before interrogation,” said PCCB in a press statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Doreen Kapwani.

She said that conmen have been providing false information to some ex-government executives that the PCCB has started to investigate them concerning corruption scandals with the intention of taking bribe from them.

Kapwani said that in to build trust to the executives, the conmen reportedly take some executives near the PCCB headquarters building and leave them inside the car, as they enter PCCB offices and ask for services like any other Tanzanian.

“Once outside our offices, they simply cheat the suspects that investigations were going on and they were likely to be spared from legal action,” she said.

Kapwani called upon Tanzanians to inform them as soon as possible whenever they come across such people. She stressed that not every person who enters the PCCB building is an employee of the Agency.

She said though the war against corruption is for every Tanzanian, its only PCCB that has the mandate of investigating corruption allegations according to the PCCB Act.

Recently, PCCB director-general Dr Edward Hosea told ‘The Guardian’ that they were investigating ministers and government executives implicated by the CAG report in corruption.

He said that interrogation of the government officials have already started and is continuing. However, he refused to disclose the ministers and executives interrogated, stressing that all those who were implicated in the CAG report would be investigated.

In the recently announced cabinet, President Jakaya Kikwete left out six cabinet ministers and two deputy ministers, accused of mishandling their dockets, including corruption and possessing posh houses among other allegations.

Those who lost the president’s confidence are minister for Finance Mustafa Mkullo who has been replaced by a new face, Dr William Mgimwa, William Ngeleja, who has been replaced by a new appointee, Prof Sospeter Muhongo, and minister for Transport, Omari Nundu, who has been replaced by Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, who has been promoted from the ministry of Works where he was a deputy minister.

Other ministers who were dropped include Ezekiel Maige, former Natural Resources and Tourism minister, whose portfolio has been filled in by former deputy minister for Home Affairs, Khamis Kagasheki.

Industry and Trade minister Cyril Chami, has been replaced by Dr Abdallah Kigoda, while Dr Hussein Mwinyi has been named the new minister for Health and Social Welfare replacing Haji Mponda.